Timber cutting chain saw



Aug. 21, 1956 E. H. KLIEVER TIMBER CUTTING CHAIN SAW 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov, 30, 1953 INVENTOR.

EDI/VAMH/EZEI/ER Aug. 21, 1956 E. H. KLIEVER 2,759,501

TIMBER CUTTING CHAIN SAW Filed Nov. 30, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. EbWARDH/QJEVFR.

BY I 6 arrow 5y United States Patent O fiiice 2,759,501 Patented Aug. 21, 1956 TIMBER CUTTING CHAIN SAW Edward H. Kliever, Medford, Oreg.

Application November 30, 1953, Serial No. 394,944

2 Claims. (Cl. 14332) My present invention relates to saw mill equipment and more particularly to a mobile mount for a chain saw such as is used in saw mills in cutting timber from the mill pond into board sawing lengths.

An object of the invention is to provide a means by which the cutting position of a chain saw may be accurately and conveniently adjusted longitudinally with respect to rough hewn timber as it enters a saw mill from the log pond.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mounting for a chain saw by which the swing of the saw and its position laterally with respect to a fixed point may be adjusted from a single control point in a simple and convenient manner.

In the process of converting rough hewn timber into lumber the rough hewn timber is more generally accumulated in a mill pond where the logs are sorted as to character, diameter and length and are then fed from this point into a cradle or slideway in the mill by chain or cable. Movement of the logs into this latter position generally requires a powerful wench equipment and with the larger timbers it is often diflicult to stop the log in the slideway or cradle at the exact point where a saw cut is to be made. While resort may be had to the use of a log supporting cradle that is capable of being moved longitudinally to position the log in proper relation with a stationary saw, this arrangement requires considerable power. It is therefore a further object of my invention to provide a mounting by which a cross-cut chain saw may be mounted for movement longitudinally with respect to a log and also controlled in its log engaging and disengaging movements in a simple, efiicient and convenient manner from a single control panel.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be in part evident to those skilled in the art and in part pointed out in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein there is shown by way of illustration and not of limitation a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a chain saw mounting and control operating in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view taken at the back of the saw with parts omitted to reveal details of construction,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view showing other details of construction,

Figure 4 is a plan view of the apparatus as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, and

Figure 5 is an end view of the apparatus taken along line V-V of Fig. 4 looking in the direction of the arrows and showing its location with respect to a log to be sawed.

For a consideration of what I believe to constitute the novel aspects of my present invention reference is now made to the drawings where in Figure 1 I have illustrated a complete assembly constructed and arranged in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention. As

will be seen from this showing I propose to employ a conventional chain saw 10 of the type having a flat blade 11 about which a sawtooth carrying chain 12 is driven in a manner well understood in the art. In this showing the chain saw 10 is disposed so as to swing over and in a vertical plane extending transverse to the axis of a log or other timber to be sawed. To permit and facilitate a positioning of the chain saw 10 longitudinally at any desired point with respect to a log I have shown the saw 10 as mounted upon a bearing pedestal 13 that is carried by a mobile base 14 which is mounted upon spaced rails 15 that extend between end frame members 16 and 17 so that the location of said bed plate or base 14 may be positioned at any desired point between the frame members 16 and 17 by a sliding movement along the rails 15.

To effect the above sliding movement of the bed plate or base 14 along the rails 15, I have shown a hydraulic cylinder 18 that is located substantially centrally between and slightly above the two spaced rails 15. This hydraulic cylinder 18 has an operating piston rod 19 that is connected at its free end to a boss or clevis-like extension 20 formed upon the end frame member 17. With this arrangement it will be seen that by energizing the hydraulic cylinder 18 for movement of its piston in one direction or other the position of the bed plate or base 14 between the end frame 16 or 17 may be determined.

As indicated in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings the length of the spaced rails 15 may be of any desired length by merely providing for a different spacing between the end frame members 16 and 17 and this of course with a comparable increase in thelength of operating travel of the piston rod 19 that is associated with the hydraulic cylinder 18. Normally an overall movement of approximately 12" will be found suflicient, however where de sired the limits of this lateral movement of the saw may be in any desired amount by merely providing a hydraulic cylinder 18 with a piston rod movement of the necessary length.

As is illustrated in Figures 2, 4 and 5 of the drawings, the chain saw blade is mounted in a radially extending position upon a cylindrical mounting member 21 that is journalled in spaced bearings 22 and 23 carried by the pedestal 13. At its outer end the cylinder mounting member 21 has a flanged end 24 upon which the blade 11 of the saw is secured. The member 21 has a flange or guard 25 that extends around the end of the chain saw and also an upwardly and radially extending arm 26 to which a piston rod 27 of a second hydraulic cylinder 28 is connected. This second hydraulic cylinder 28, as is more clearly shown in Figures 1' land 5 of the drawings, is mounted at its stationary end upon a support 29 carried by the bed plate or base 14 and it extends angularly upward for movement of its piston rod in a line substantially tangent to the IZXlS about which the cylindrical saw mounting member 21 turns. In this manner the second hydraulic cylinder 28 will operate to control the saw 10 in its swinging movements in a vertical plane relative to the timber to be cut. Extending centrally through and journalled within the cylindrical mounting member 21 there is a driving shaft 30 which carries a saw driving sprocket 31 at one end and at its other end this shaft carries a V-belt pulley 32 about which a series of belts 33 pass to form a driving connection with a similar pulley 34 driven by an electric motor 35. The electric motor 35 like the saw 10 is mounted upon and carried by the bed plate or base 14 so that the entire assembly, including the hereinbefore described hydraulic cylinders 18 and 28, will move as a unit along the spaced rails 15 which, as shown, are mounted in an elevated position over the supporting foundation or floor of the mill by the end frame members 16 and 17. A control panel 36 carried by a hollow pedestal 37 is also here shown as mounted upon 2,759,501 v r I r the bed plate or base 14 so as to also move therewith, however it will be understood that by providing suitable flexible connections the control panel 36 may be mounted in a fixed position remote from the movable supporting bed plate or base 14.

By now referring back to Figure 1 of the drawings it will be noted that the control panel 36 provides a mount for two hydraulic valves 38 and 39 which are adapted and arranged to control operating fluid connections for the hydraulic cylinders 18 and 28. In the preferred arrangement the valve 38 will be connected to control the hydraulic cylinder 18 and the valve 39 will be connected in the hydraulic fluid supply system so as to control the hydraulic cylinder 28. It is also contemplated that a suitable push button control for the electric motor 35 may also be mounted upon the panel 36.

In addition to providing a support for the control panel 36 the hollow tubular support 37 as indicated in Figure of the drawings may also be used :as a reservoir for lubricating oil which is directed through a nozzle 40 to the sawtooth carrying chain 12. As shown in this latter figure of the drawing the nozzle 40 is mounted upon the guard 25 carried by the cylindrical mounting member 21. The tubular column 37 has a removable filling plug 41 at its upper end and at its lower end there is a delivery pipe 42 through which oil may be directed to the nozzle 40. Communicating with the interior of the tubular support 37 there is also a pipe connection 43 through which fluid under pressure may be introduced to force the lubricating oil at any desired rate of flow through the nozzle 40.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention as employing two hydraulic cylinders as a means for raising and lowering the chain saw 19 and for moving the chain saw supporting base longitudinally with respect to the timber to be sawed, it is to be understood that I may employ the pneumatic cylinders operating from a source of compressed air. In its preferred environment my invention contemplates an installation of the chain saw mounting and control arrangement above described at the point of entry of raw timber to a mill where the raw timber frequently requires trimming at its ends to remove splintered or damaged portions of a log and to also cut the log into proper board sawing lengths before they are fed into the mill proper for further processing.

As shown in Figure 5 of the drawing, the bed plate 17 described above is preferably mounted upon a foundation 45 that extends along one side of the path or slideway over which rough timber, here designated by the numeral 46, is drawn into the mill from a mill pond or log pile. in this arrangement the timber 4s is shown as held in a cradle or slideway by oppositely disposed adjustable log engaging jaws or dogs 47 that are adjustable to accommodate logs 46 of different diameters. Several of these jaws or dogs 47 are provided in longitudinally spaced relation and operate to support the log or timber in at an elevation that will take in the normal vertical swing of the chain saw 10. When the apparatus is assembled and arranged as described it will be seen that after a heavy timber has been drawn from the mill pond and into the mill at its point of entry, the chain saw can be lowered by simply operating the valve 39 which will energize the hydraulic cylinder 28 and thus bring the saw It) into cutting arrangement with the log. At this point it will be of course understood that the chain saw 1'3 is being driven in the conventional manner by the electric motor 35. Now, should it happen that the log has not been drawn into the mill to a point where the cutting thereof is desired, the chain saw 10 can be easily and conveniently adjusted to the proper point of cutting within the limits of the base supporting rails by an operation of the hydraulic valve 39 which will energize the hydraulic cylinder 18 in one direction or the other so as to move the supporting base 14 longitudinally along the timber to the point where the cutting of the log is desired or required. Once the saw has been thus positioned upon the timber the hydraulic cylinder 28 can then be further brought into operation to exert a gradual downward pressure upon the chain saw 10. This can be determined by a proper setting of the hydraulic fluid controlling valve 38. During these operations a valve 44 upon the control panel 36 may also be set to maintain a flow of lubricating oil from the hollow panel supporting column 37 through the pipe connection 42 and to the nozzle 40 as a lubricating medium for the cutting chain 12 of the chain saw 10.

While I have, for the sake of clearness and in order to disclose the invention so that the same can be readily understood, described and illustrated a specific form and arrangement, I desire to have it understood that this invention is not limited to the specific form disclosed, but may be embodied in other ways that will suggest themselves to persons skilled in the art. It is believed that this invention is new and all such changes as come within the scope of the appended claims are to be considered as part of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a position controlling mount for a timber cutting chain saw, the combination of a stationary support having spaced horizontally extending parallel rails, a base plate movably mounted upon the rails of said stationary support, a bearing pedestal mounted upon said base plate, a chain saw supporting cylinder journalled in said bearing pedestal, said chain saw supporting cylinder having a saw blade mounting flange and an arm extending radially therefrom, a fluid pressure operated means connected between said arm and a point upon said base plate for rotating said supporting cylinder, a shaft extending centrally through said supporting cylinder having a sprocket at its end in driving connection with the teeth of said chain saw, motive power means carried by said base plate having a driving connection at the other end of said shaft, a second fluid pressure operated means connected between said stationary support and said movable base plate for moving said base plate along the rails of said stationary support, a source of fluid under pressure, and valve means for selectively controlling the admission of fluid under pressure to said fluid pressure operated means, whereby the operating position of said chain saw may be changed both laterally and vertically with respect to timber to be out without affecting its driving connection with said motive power means.

2. In a mount for a timber cutting chain saw, the combination of a bed plate upon which a chain saw may be mounted, a bearing pedestal carried by said bed plate, a horizontally disposed chain saw supporting member journalled upon said pedestal for rotary movement, said chain saw supporting member having a radially extending arm, a chain saw blade secured to said supporting member and extending radially outward at an angle to said arm, a driving shaft journalled centrally within said chain saw supporting member having a sprocket at one end in driving connection with the teeth of the chain saw, a driving means also carried by said bed plate having a driving connection with the other end of said drive shaft, fluid pressure means carried by said bed plate operatively connected to the radially extending arm of said saw supporting member, whereby the said chain saw may be raised and lowered with respect to a timber without interrupting the operation of said driving means, an upwardly extending hollow pedestal also carried by said bed plate forming a reservoir for lubricating oil and also a support for a control panel, a flexible oil conducting conduit extending from the base of said pedestal having a nozzle at its end secured upon said blade supporting member and disposed to project lubricating oil upon the teeth of said chain saw adjacent said sprocket, a control panel mounted upon said hollow pedestal, valve means mounted upon said panel for controlling the operation of said fluid pressure operated means, and additional valve positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Muir Mar. 8, 1910 Edwards July 11, 1916 Hassler Aug. 17, 1943 Hillyer Dec. 19, 1944 Wilson et al Apr. 29, 1947 Rathert et al. Apr. 17, 1951 Rathert et al Aug. 14, 1951 Miller July 13, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS Germany May 7, 1940 Germany Oct. 11, 1943 

